I am interested in the sciences, but I’m unsure if it’s worth it in the long run. Are the career prospects still good for environmental science majors? If not I might consider something else.
Your career prospects are based on the skills you learn and the experience you gain, not simply on your major. An environmental science major can be good for employment, depending on what you want to do. There’s increasing interest in environmental issues with concerns about climate change, overcrowding, and experimental projects (like Microsoft trying to put servers in the ocean!). But it kind of depends on the angle you take for entry.
It depends on the school and program, but career wise you’re not going to do very well in terms of salary/prestige in the field without a graduate degree.
We have had the same concerns. DS is a natural in all the environmental areas and the top student in his A.P. Envi.Sci. class (which in our school is not easy) but he is concerned that if he could find a job with this degree it would be rather low paying. Our research seems to be telling us Environmental Engineering is the best option.
I do think that enviro science on its own can be hard to find a decent job. What is your dream job? Food security? Field work? Restoration of wrecked land? Policy analysis?
My personal opinion based on watching my daughter and her friends is takes stats and at a high level. Learn R code inside and out and well as other programming. If you can swing it, take a year between your junior and senior year of college in order to get long term internships and experiences - field work, advocacy, working with the public.